Where to start?

Can any one give me some ideas on where to start on finding a Dr. in Iowa and what steps I need to take to start getting closer to surgery? Thanks so much to all!

The best way to start is to go to your family doctor & tell him/her that you want the surgery. If he/she agrees that it is an option for you he/she will probably be able to point you to the best one in your area of the state. Your insurance probably will require your doctor's approval anyway & many surgeons won't see you unless recommended by your doctor. Oh, yes, insurance, you'll probably want to make sure the surgeon is in your network. Now to see a listing of the surgeons in Iowa, just click on "baraitric surgeons" on the left side of the Iowa messageboard. You'll have to go in a few pages & maybe even login with your username & password but there is a pretty detailed listing in there, with their names, the hospitals they practice at, & maybe even their individual websites. Good luck. Take your time. This decision will affect your outcome. You can always ask here about the different surgeons. Of course, we are all biased, thinking our particular one is the best. (psst... Dr Glas**** really is the best) TeeHee. That will start things going! Dixie

Thanks for the imput. I am weighing out all of my options. I don't really know how good of achance I have at getting approval but it is worth a shot. bty where is your Dr. located?

Now that the weekend is over, maybe more will read your post & respond. My Dr is in Cedar Falls, a bit far for you to go but closer to you, there is an excellent program at Genesis in Davenport and lots of people go to Grinnell or Des Moines. Go for it. I have always felt that if you don't try, you will definately fail. It's kind of like they lottery says, "You can't win if you don't buy." Dixie

I went to my PCP first and she did the recommendation to Grinnell. When I decided to switch doctors to Des Moines I went to one of the informational meets that they have. You can find times and dates on the Mercy web site. Good luck.

If you are considering Grinnell, after May 1st, my doctor, Stephen Sundberg will be practicing there. He does RNY laproscopically and has had the surgery himself so when you ask him a question, you know he really knows. He has great bedside manner and I just love him! He's very particular and provides excellent care.

Am making an appt. with my family doctor to get started. She has been very helpful and caring in all areas I have gone through. Hopefully she will think this is the right course to take. My mother is worried about me dying in the process. Does anyone have any advice as how I can put her mind at ease? I told her about this site and told her to check it out as there is a lot of good info. But she is still scared.